Binder device releasably engaging aperture or notch of sheet – Sheet
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-15
2002-06-25
Wellington, A. L. (Department: 3722)
Binder device releasably engaging aperture or notch of sheet
Sheet
C281S029000, C281S031000, C281S042000, C281S045000, C283S037000, C402S070000, C402S073000, C229S067100, C229S067200, C229S067300, C229S067400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06409409
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to tabbed divider and pocket assemblies and to methods of making them. It more particularly relates to those assemblies where the tab portion is formed from the same continuous paper sheet as the main sheet portion of the assembly.
An example of a prior art tabbed divider and pocket assembly is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
generally at
20
. This construction is marketed as the ONE-STEP product by Cardinal, which is part of Atapco Office Products Group of St. Louis, Mo. Assembly
20
is formed from a single paper sheet
24
which is cut, folded and glued. Sheet
24
has a main body portion
28
, a pocket panel
32
at a bottom edge of the main body portion, a left pocket flap
40
, and a right pocket flap
36
. The pocket panel
32
is folded up to the main body portion
28
, and the left and right pocket flaps
36
,
40
are folded around the main body portion to the back side thereof and glued thereto as shown in FIG.
2
. Thereby a pocket shown generally at
44
in FIG.
1
and having an open top
48
is formed on the front side of the main body potion
28
.
Three binder holes
52
,
56
,
60
are formed on the left side of the assembly
20
. While the top hole
52
passes only through the main body portion, the center and bottom holes
56
,
60
pass through the pocket panel
32
, the main body portion
28
, and the left pocket flap
40
, as can be understood from
FIGS. 1 and 2
. Also, as can be seen in those drawings, the top and bottom left corners
68
,
72
of the assembly
20
are angle cut.
The tab
64
is formed by a tab portion
76
of the sheet
24
continuous with the main body portion
28
. Indicia
80
is printed on the tab portion
68
, and the tab portion has a colored protective coating
84
applied thereto. The assemblies
20
are typically sold in a packaged set with each assembly having its tab
64
at a different location along the right side and with a different indicia
80
printed thereon.
Because the right pocket flap
36
wraps around the side edge of the main body portion
28
, the tab portion
76
cannot be positioned so as to extend out from the right edge of the main body portion where the right pocket flap is. In other words, the tab
64
cannot be positioned at the bottom couple of inches or so of the assembly
20
, as shown by reference numeral
88
, even when the angle cutout
92
is provided for the pocket
44
. This is undesirable since it means that fewer locations of the tab
64
are available on the sheet
20
.
Another pocketed tabbed divider known in the prior art is the POCKETS'N TABS index divider product available from Avery Dennison Corporation of Pasadena, Calif. Each of these dividers is formed from a (recycled) paper sheet having a sheet body portion, a right side flap extending out from a lower right side edge of the sheet body portion, a left side flap extending out from a lower right side of the sheet body portion, and a pocket panel at a bottom edge of the sheet body portion. To form the pocket the pocket panel is folded up towards the sheet body panel, and the two side flaps are folded and glued to the folded-up pocket panel. The results are that the pocket panel is on the front side of the sheet body portion and both of the side flaps are glued to the front side of the pocket panel. This prior art pocket divider is made by hole punching, cutting, sheeting, stripping, gluing and folding paper in a Kempsmith machine. The stacked paper sheets are delivered to a second machine where the tabs are attached. The second machines are made by Twinbrooks and EZ machines.
The pocket does not have the angle cut, such as angle cut
92
in assembly
20
, but rather the top edge extends straight horizontally across the sheet. A deep four-inch continuous pocket is thereby formed, and the top edge of the pocket is below the middle ring binder hole. In other words, the top and center holes pass only through the main body portion and the bottom hole passes through the left side flap, the pocket panel and the main body portion.
The tabs of this Avery pocket index divider are formed by a separate transparent plastic piece. The plastic piece is folded over and its ends glued to the paper. The folded-over portion extends out from the side edge of the paper thereby defining a slot in which printed paper tabs with the desired indicia thereon are inserted and retained. Advantageously, these tabs can be positioned anywhere along the side edge of the sheet, even at the bottom corner and a tab position above, because the tab(s) is (are) secured at the front to the outside surface of the right flap and at the back on the rear surface of the main portion. The tabs above the pocket are secured directly to the front and back of the main body portion. Unlike the plastic tabs described above, tabs cut from the parent sheet (such as in assembly
20
) can be preprinted in brighter more vibrant colors. Also, tabs cut from the parent sheet have a more desirable look and feel.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Disclosed herein are an improved tabbed divider and pocket assembly (assemblies) and a method(s) of making same. This assembly is formed by unwinding paper off of a paper roll and punching ring binder holes in a portion of the unwound paper. The portion of the paper is then scored, cut and sheeted and scrap paper stripped therefrom to form a foldable paper sheet. This sheet includes a sheet body portion, a lower side flap extending out from a side edge of the sheet body portion, an upper side flap extending out from the side edge above the lower side flap, a sheet pocket panel extending out from a bottom edge of the sheet body portion and a sheet pocket flap extending out from a side edge of the sheet pocket flap. The different portions of the sheet are separated from adjacent portions by scored or other types of fold lines.
The foldable paper sheet is introduced into the folding and gluing station. At this station, the pocket flap is folded towards the pocket panel, the pocket panel is folded up towards the sheet body portion, and the folded pocket flap is glued to the rear face of the body portion. The lower side flap is then folded and glued to the outward (rear) face of the pocket panel, and the upper side flap is folded and glued to the rear face of the body portion. With the flaps and pocket panel folded and secured in place, the two binder holes through the upper side flap align with the top two holes in the body portion to form the top two ring binder holes of the assembly. And the bottom ring binder hole is formed by the alignment of the hole in the lower side flap, the hole in the pocket panel and the bottom hole in the body portion.
At this stage in the manufacturing process a paper strip area extends out the side of the body portion opposite to the three binder holes. The strip includes the tab area for the assembly. Indicia is printed on the tab area at the desired location thereon, and the tab areas are coated with MYLAR, a polyester film. The tabs are then cut out of the strip area. The present invention advantageously allows the tabs to be cut at any location along the edge of the body portion, even at a lower location directly adjacent the pocket panel, unlike the prior art assembly
20
described above.
An alternative manufacturing process has the following steps, in the following order: (1) punch binder holes, die cut and score; (2) print indicia on tab on full, unfolded sheet; (3) apply MYLAR film and cut tab; and (4) fold and glue flaps and panel. Using this process the edge of the pocket can be aligned with the edge of the (tab) sheet, and thus no buffer strip is required.
Accordingly, an improved tabbed divider and pocket assembly is thereby formed including a tabbed divider sheet and a pocket having an open top formed on a back side of that sheet. A set of these products is formed, each product having its tab at a different location on the side edge and having a different indicia printed thereon. Each set is packaged, the packages boxed and the boxes distributed through retail channels
Bauman Bruce D.
Gordon Andrew S.
Pollman Russ D.
Avery Dennison Corporation
Henderson Mark T.
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
Wellington A. L.
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